The Akihito scholarship will allow Oda to work with Professor Yasuyuki Ozeki at the University of Tokyo later this year.

Oda, who hopes to become a professor in his field, says he loves to teach. He loves to make sense of complicated problems, too.

“I love puzzles, and research is a giant puzzle,” said Oda. “There are a million questions to answer, but I get excited knowing that I can potentially answer one of them.”

More about the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship

The Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship was established in 1959 to commemorate the wedding of then Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko. When Akihito ascended to the throne in 1989 to become emperor, the name was retained, according to his wishes. Very few scholarships hold the imperial name.

Today the scholarship is run by the Japan-America Society of Hawaiʻi to promote better understanding between Japan and Hawaiʻi. It is awarded to one graduate student from Hawaiʻi and one graduate student from Japan each year.